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A hymn to Inana

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 4 - Hymns and cult songs · 85 sections

1. 1

   in-⌈nin9⌉ […] X […] X

   Lady ……! Returning heroic youth, Inana ……. At the shrine, in Nibru, in the E-du-kug …… by An, with the holy crown of An placed on her head, the most holy ba garment of An draped around her torso, and the holy sceptre of An placed in her hand -- seated on a seat in the assembly, rendering great judgments in the mountains, and reaching majestic decisions in all the lands!

2. 2

   šul meš3 gi4-gi4-e {d}inana ⌈?⌉ [X X]-⌈li⌉-a-ta X […]

3. 3

   ⌈eš3⌉-e ⌈?⌉[{ki}] [X] ⌈e2-du6⌉-kug-⌈ga⌉ [X] dug4-ga an-⌈?⌉

4. 4

   ⌈me-en kug⌉ ⌈an⌉-na saĝ-ĝa2 ĝal2-la-e

5. 5

   ⌈?-ba kug-kug⌉ ⌈an⌉-na šag4-ga la2-a-e

6. 6

   ĝidru kug an-⌈na⌉ šu-na ĝal2-<la>-bi

7. 7

   ?-a tuš-[a dur2] ĝar-ra-e

8. 8

   di gal kur-⌈ra⌉ kud-da-e

9. 9

   ga-eš8 ⌈maḫ⌉ kur-kur-ra bad-da-e

10. 10

    nu11-gin7 ⌈an⌉-ta kar2-ra-na ⌈kug {d}inana⌉ igi ĝal2-la-bi

    Holy Inana gazes as she shines (?) down from heaven like a light. Together with her father Suen, the mistress issues commands to the E-kiš-nu-ĝal of Urim. In her hands she holds prosperity for all the lands. The lady ……. Holy Inana …….

11. 11

    urim2⌈{ki}-a⌉ e2-kiš-nu-⌈ĝal2⌉-la-bi-še3

12. 12

    nu-gig-⌈ge⌉ a-a-ni {d}suen-da

13. 13

    inim dug4-dug4-ga-e

14. 14

    ḫe2-ĝal2 ⌈kur⌉-ra-še3 šu la2-[X]-a-e

15. 15

    nin9-e […] ⌈? ?⌉-ri2-in ⌈sikil⌉ […]

16. 16

    kug {d}⌈inana⌉ […] ⌈ki-?⌉ kur2-⌈?-?⌉ […] X […]

17. 17

    ⌈?⌉-e ⌈ga-ša-an⌉ [X] ⌈?⌉-ma ḫi-li du8-du8-⌈a⌉-me

    ……, you are endowed with beauty, (5 lines fragmentary)

18. 18

    ⌈AN⌉ […]-⌈?⌉ A X X ME X X ⌈?⌉-ni ⌈ki-?-? gub-?-?⌉

19. 19

    a-ĝi6 […] ⌈IM⌉ X X me

20. 20

    DU.DU […] X GA […]

21. 21

    a-ĝi6 ⌈IM⌉ […]-⌈ga⌉-gin7 [X] ⌈?⌉-e

22. 22

    ⌈? ? ?-?⌉ gal-gal

23. 23

    ⌈ge⌉-en X X X X X šudu3-šudu3-ba zig3-ga-me

    You are she who raises …… in their prayers. You are she who displays shining cornelian from the mountains to be admired. Bringing shining lapis lazuli from the bright mountain on special rafts, you are she who, like fire, melts (?) gold from Ḫarali. You are she who creates apples in their clusters (?). You are she who demands ……. You are she who creates the date spadices in their beauty.

24. 24

    gi-ri2-in duru5 ḫur-saĝ-ta u5 di gub-ba-me

25. 25

    ⌈za⌉-gin3 duru5 kur šubax(MUŠ)-ta ⌈gi⌉-dirig igi saĝ-ĝa2 la2

26. 26

    ⌈kug⌉-ZI×ZI ḫa-ra-li izi-gin7 tab2-tab2-e-me

27. 27

    {ĝiš}ḫašḫur gu-gu-ul-ba ĝal2-la-me

28. 28

    X-ba al e-a-a-me

29. 29

    zu2-⌈lum⌉ a2-an-sur-ba ḫi-li guru3-me

30. 30

    dag-⌈dag⌉-ga til3-la-ĝu10-ne

    (Inana speaks:) When I was living in my dwelling place, when I was living in An's dwelling, my lover Ušumgal-ana called upon me to be his wife. In Bad-tibira, from the E-muš-kalama, …… for his crown. (6 lines fragmentary or unclear) …… his assembly, and brought …… into her holy shrine for her brother Ušumgal-ana.

31. 31

    dag ⌈an⌉-[na]-⌈ke4⌉ til3-la-ĝu10-ne

32. 32

    mu-⌈u2-da⌉-na-ĝu10 ⌈ušum⌉-gal-an-na-ke4

33. 33

    me ⌈nam⌉-dam-še3 in-!-⌈an⌉-pad3-da-de3

34. 34

    bad3-ti-bi2-ra ⌈e2⌉-muš-kalam-ma-ta

35. 35

    a-ga-⌈ni-še3⌉ X X ⌈MU⌉ […] X

36. gap

    (3 lines fragmentary)

37. 39

    [X] X X X X X-⌈en pa5 ? taka4⌉-de3

38. 40

    a2 ⌈!-ga⌉ nin9 [X] bi2-in-?-?

39. 41

    a-a ⌈gu2⌉ X ⌈gal⌉-e X-⌈? BA⌉ [X]-⌈an-ur4-ur4⌉

40. 42

    ⌈?⌉-a-ni X (X) ⌈?-na⌉ X (X)

41. 43

    ⌈šeš⌉-a-⌈ni ušumgal-!-an-na-?⌉

42. 44

    ⌈eš3⌉ kug-ga-ni ? mu-na-ga-ga

43. 45

    […] X […] ⌈gub⌉-ba-am3

    (Inana speaks:) …… stands ……. Dumuzid stands in beauty like an ildag tree. I will fill my heart with joy. The one who makes food plentiful …… in Du-šuba (?). My heart is filled with joy, …… in heaven and earth. The house of Arali ……. (3 lines fragmentary or unclear) …… the houses in the broad streets. (One blank line on the tablet)

44. 46

    ⌈ḫi-li⌉ {d}dumu-zid {ĝiš}ildag3 gub-gub-dam

45. 47

    šag4-ĝu10 ḫi-li gi4-im-si

46. 48

    u2 lu-lu ⌈du6⌉-šuba-a ŠE3 DA GA DA […]

47. 49

    šag4-ĝu10 ḫi-⌈li⌉ im-si an ⌈ki⌉ […]

48. 50

    e2 a-ra-[li] […] ⌈NI⌉ […]

49. 51

    ⌈šag4⌉ […] NE ⌈zal-la-?⌉

50. 52

    ur3-bad3 ⌈?-ga mu⌉-ši-gu-u2-gu-u2

51. 53

    sila ĝi6-de3 bur2-da NI ZU ⌈?⌉-e

52. 54

    e2 sila daĝal-a i3-tur-⌈tur⌉-e

53. gap

    (one blank line on the tablet)

54. 55

    en saĝ-ĝa2-⌈?-? dug4-ga⌉

    (approx. 67 lines missing or fragmentary)

55. gap

    (approx. 10 lines fragmentary or missing)

56. 66

    ⌈kur ?⌉ X […]

57. 67

    ?-bi ⌈na⌉-[X X] mušen-bi [X]

58. 68

    tir meš3 ⌈kalam⌉ […] meš3 kur-⌈ra⌉

59. gap

    (3 lines missing)

60. 72

    X nu-sug2-⌈ge⌉ e2 nu-mu-[X]

61. gap

    (1 line missing)

62. 74

    a-nun-⌈na⌉-e-⌈ne⌉ U MU UM MA [X]

63. 75

    saĝ-ur-⌈saĝ⌉ galam mu-X […]

64. 76

    gu NE ⌈LI⌉ [X] ⌈?⌉ X u-mu-[X X]

65. gap

    (1 line missing)

66. 78

    iri12-gal ⌈ḫul2-?⌉ […]

67. 79

    a-ra2-⌈?⌉ ĝiš X […] {ĝiš}ĝišnimbar X […]

68. 80

    ur2 šem-bi X mu-ni-in-DU

69. 81

    me abzu X X X X

70. gap

    (approx. 25 lines missing)

71. 107

    […] X X X […] X dug4-de3

72. gap

    (3 lines missing)

73. 111

    X ḫe2-ĝa2-ĝa2 X X X-ke4 GIR NA […] tag

74. 112

    X X GIM GAN ? X ba-DU

75. 113

    […] X UL nun […] X-am3

76. 114

    […] X ? […]-de3

77. 115

    […] ⌈GI⌉ DU.DU

78. gap

    (1 line fragmentary)

79. 117

    A ⌈? i3⌉-kur9-? X MI ⌈NE⌉ DU

80. 118

    […] ⌈? GA⌉ X igi [bar]-re i3-im-e

81. 119

    [X] ⌈?⌉ bar BI X-⌈NE⌉-e

82. 120

    […] X X A NE ⌈MU ? E⌉

83. gap

    (1 line missing)

84. 122

    ⌈kug {d}?⌉ [X] ⌈maḫ-zu⌉ X X

    Holy Inana, your august ……! …… Inana be praised!

85. 123

    […] ⌈{d}inana za3⌉-mi2

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.